The Babe With the Power.

I bought some new jammies for Syd. The reason? Cause I saw them and they touched my inner nerd. Remember the baby "Toby", from the movie, Labyrinth? With David Bowie in stretch pants? If not, I suggest you just run yourself right on down to the nearest DVD rental place and check it out. Better yet, BUY it. Jennifer Connelly is even in it. Before she had that anorexic/preying mantis look. She's still hot, btw, but she was just so much...more then, than she is now. And again, there was something about David Bowie that made my eleven year old self sit up and take notice...perhaps his chicken legs in addition to the huge white-blond spiky mullet atop his head. I can't be sure. All I can say is that I wanted him to sing to me for a long time afterward; the masquerade ball being a scene that evoked so many new and alien feelings. Alien, but in a good way. Ahhh.
Anyway I was trying to put Sydney to bed the night she wore the pjs shown, and as is most nights before bed, she was fussy. Inspired by her sleepy time ensemble, I threatened to "say the words". Jeff gave me a courtesy laugh and Riley thought that it was a terrible thing to tell my baby. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can remedy that by following my previous instructions and watch the movie....and then realize what a terrible mother I am). Anyway, there's something about stripey pajamas on a child that I find adorable. Especially if that adorable child is my own.
Another unrelated but humorous moment today occurred when I found a project Cole did in school. Occasionally he'll empty his backpack in random places, and I found this under our recliner:
I thought his mad face was quite accurate. In addition to that, I am always surprised at how much Jeff shines through in their artwork. It makes me happy to see how talented they are...that they didn't inherit my abilities; which are none. On the other side of the picture was this:Notice how he spelled crazy. It reminds me of how Nacho says it in Nacho Libre: "Craaaaasee". Also, I was under the impression that when he is crazy, he looks remarkably like a woman. However, Jeff corrected me by saying that the pink stuff wasn't oversized lips, but a tongue. I guess he and Cole talked about it today. The relationship the kids have with Jeff through their art is pretty priceless and I'm kind of jealous, as it's something that I'll never be able to touch. But mostly, I'm glad they do...as it brings them closer and encourages their creativity. Jeff is so open to that, and because he is, Riley and Cole constantly impress us. I consider myself a very lucky person. I have a husband that is wonderful to me and our little ones--the kind of husband that every girl dreams about. And my kids keep me in stories and laughs all day, everyday.
So on a more serious note, Riley is continually getting bigger and more mature. It kind of makes me sad. On the upside, she's also getting smarter and amazes me with her compassion and thoughtfulness. I've been trying to remember back to when I was pregnant with her, nine years ago. I was so anxious for her to get here--to get out of me. And then when she did make her grand appearance, my life completely changed. She was tiny and quiet and had a big red spot between her eyes--her storkbite, was what the nurses called it. And I wasn't sure what I was in for, but I loved her. I suddenly loved her so much I ached with it, and I remember being in the hospital holding her and wondering what that red spot was, and why it was there. No one told me that it would start to lighten and eventually be gone by the time she was two. So I kept telling myself that I'd protect her from anyone that may say something about it, because it was different, and maybe they'd be mean. I'm a little embarrassed now that I thought so much about her storkbite, and that it worried me. But at the time, I needed to let her know that she would be fully protected by me. And that I was so happy she had come into my life that I'd do anything I could to make her feel how much I loved and needed her.
Nine years later, I feel the same. I still am painfully aware of how perfect she is and how lucky I am that she's here. Unfortunately, I don't tell her that nearly enough. She shares that place with her sister and her brother, now...and I remember that as the oldest, sometimes it doesn't feel that way. It's more like the smaller siblings get the most attention because they're louder and less self-sufficient and whereas Riley's quiet anyway, I'm sure she really feels that she gets the short end of the stick. But for the record, she's still my baby; and she'll always be my first.
That's some of the stuff that has occurred/has been going through my mind lately. So in conclusion, I'm hoping that all of you have something or someone that makes you happy. Because life sure is a great thing when you do.